Third Edition of LLOYD Delhi Golf Club League set to tee-off on  October 12

Khel Today Bureau 

New Delhi: The 3^rd Edition of the LLOYD Delhi Golf Club League powered by RADICO will tee off at the prestigious par-72 Delhi Golf Club on October 12, 2023. It will conclude with a Grand Finale on November 4, 2023.

22 teams will compete in the League with each team comprising of 21 players and with the total field totaling 462 players. It will be played on a four-ball better ball Matchplay Format. The inaugural season in 2021 witnessed 18 teams compete while 20 teams competed in the 2022 edition of the League.

“Delhi Golf Club’s sole objective is promotion of Indian Golf and the way the League is structured it delivers on its key objectives of promoting talent and developing camaraderie between the members. The tremendous response received this year is a testament to its success” said Mr Raj Khanna, The Captain of Delhi Golf Club, while addressing the media during the Press Conference.

“Golf is now an Olympic sport and to ensure talent is given a chance to flourish and be  acknowledged, we have kept the format simple and taken measures to ensure a level playing field. The league is also very inclusive with senior members playing alongside juniors and ladies, and the regular golfers of course. As a result the golfing ecosystem within the club is getting enriched’ said Commodore Sharat Mohan (Retd), the Chairman of the Tournament Committee.

Speaking about the association, Mr Yogesh Kumar Gupta, Executive Director, Havells India said “We are delighted to partner with the Delhi Golf Club across multiple initiatives, including our support for the Junior Talent Development program at DGC. The league has established an excellent environment for the flourishing of golf in the capital. The future outlook for golf is undeniably promising, and we, as the ‘Title Sponsors,’ are thrilled to be actively involved in fostering the growth of this sport in our community.”

“We are thrilled to embark on our inaugural year as the ‘Powered By’ sponsors of The Lloyd Delhi Golf Club League. This platform not only allows us to showcase Radico’s premium products but also enables us to wholeheartedly support DGC’s commendable efforts in promoting the sport of golf. It’s a perfect synergy of excellence and commitment, where we aim to enhance the golfing experience while fostering a culture of sportsmanship and camaraderie” said Mr. Amar Sinha, Chief Operating Officer, Radico Khaitan Ltd.

Some of the biggest names in the golfing world who have honed their skills at the Delhi Golf Club, are involved with the League at different levels, including former National Champions and Arjuna Awardees Nonita Lal Qureshi and Amit Luthra.  Additionally, stalwarts such as Gaurav Ghei – the first ever Indian golfer to qualify for the Open Championship ‘97; Vivek Bhandari – winner of the Honda-Siel PGA Championship ’97;  Asian Tour regulars – Chiragh Kumar and Amandeep Johl; leading Ladies Tour professional Ayesha Kapur, top Coaches Jasjit Singh, Vikram Sethi, Ajai Gupta and several more such stalwarts are involved in the ‘Lloyd Delhi Golf Club League – powered by Radico’.

“The League has been a wonderful addition to the club’s ecosystem. The competition is both tough and exciting and as a result players are working hard under the mentorship of top coaches and players. It’s a recipe for producing champions and we are grateful to both the Team Owners and Sponsors for making this happen at DGC ” said Amandeep Johl, the Coach and mentor of last year’s winning team – The A Team.

The League will be played in two stages – a Round Robin stage followed by a Knock-out stage. During each playoff match between two teams, each team will field 7 pairs (14 players). One pair from each team will play against a pair from the other team in a four ball better ball Matchplay format with all the players playing off 75% of their original handicaps. The teams will get points for their wins. The 22 teams have been divided into 4 groups. After the Round Robin stage, top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the Knock-out stage starting with the Quarter-finals. The Finals will be played on November 4, 2023

The 22 teams competing in the League are:  The A-Team, Sterling Swingers, Baale Golf, Eagles & Birdies, Christie’s Golf, SwingKKings, Shiva, Bajaj Foundation, Tee Birds, The Pioneers, MMG Coca-Cola, 24 Secure Lions, TEEm EDC, Royal Ranthambore Athletic Drive, Deutsche Motoren, Birdie Machine, Ardee Masters, Bliss Golfers, B i Luxury, Bharat Strikers, Golf Code, and Dayal Opticals, with the last three names coming on this year.

The list of Central Sponsors for the event include Lloyd who are the Title Sponsors. Radico wear the hat of ‘Powered By’ sponsors. The other supporting sponsors are:  Media Partners TV 9 Network and NewsX, Official Car – Mercedes Benz T&T Motors, Scoring Partners – Grant Thornton, Official Apparel – Athletic Drive, COAL – The Official Skin Care Partners, Golf Plus – Golf Magazine partners.

The ‘Associate Partners’ sponsors include Power Gilt, Rezon, The Suryaa, Three Sixty, TMM Magazine and Beyond WiFi.

Swadhin Patel, a TARS(Level 3) certified Official, the highest certification from R&A’s certification system, is the Chief Referee for the Tournament and  he will be assisted by three other qualified referees.

Mssrs Vishal Gold and Digraj Golf Inc were selected to market and manage the DGC League in partnership with DGC. After the stupendous success of the first two editions, they will continue their association for the contracted period.